Tempest: An Almost Meeting
by kaiserklee
Summary: Tempest!Verse. Elsa sees a redheaded princess across the room, and Anna sees a blonde girl who needs her help. (Repost.)


**Tempest: An Almost Meeting**

"Anna," King Agdar chided. "Don't run about and ruin your dress before tonight. As I've told you, many dignitaries will be there, and–"

"I know, I can't wait! It'll be great!"

With the ends of her dress gripped tightly in her hands, eight-year-old Princess Anna of Arendelle continued running circles around the poor maids attempting to style her hair. It was already a stroke of luck they had ever managed to convince Anna to stand still long enough to put the dress on properly. It would take nothing short of a miracle for the energetic girl to sit down and get her hair done right. All the while, King Agdar stood with his arms crossed at the corner of the room and observed. Despite his scolding, his lips formed a gentle smile and his tone held not a trace of impatience.

After another round of pleading from the maids and Anna steadfastly refusing to comply with their demands, Agdar reached out and picked her up in his arms while she was still charging across the room. Anna only laughed when her father rolled his eyes and deposited her in front of a mirror. She had half a mind to continue their little game, but Agdar kept his eyes trained on her.

"It's almost time for the gala," Agdar said. "In fact, I think our guests should be arriving soon."

"And I'll finally get to meet some new people!" Anna cheered, pumping her arms in the air and nearly knocking one of her hairstylists. She quickly retracted her arm and apologized, but the grin never left her face. "I hope none of the princes and princesses are snobby. Are they around my age?"

"I'm sure there will be some," Adgar said.

Anna felt herself smiling even wider.

She might make a friend!

* * *

"Release."

Elsa stood straight-backed and perfectly balanced at the very center of the ship deck, drawing in careful breaths and smelling the sea on every one. With her eyes closed she could feel the rocking of the ship and hear the slamming of the waves, all of it magnified until the vibrations shook her body and the drumming pounded in her ears. She paid it no heed. Nothing would distract her.

"Let free."

Her eyes snapped open, steel reflected on ice blue.

An unnatural winter storm erupted around her, building in intensity with each second that passed, until it appeared that Elsa stood at the epicenter of a hurricane of snow. Elsa thrust her arm forward and the snow and ice surged along as one great concentrated mass. Just before it hit the mast, she turned her open hand and the cold wave arced upwards, following the mast until it reached the tip of the sails, and then it split in two and exploded outwards. Elsa clenched her fist. Spiking back down to the sea, her snow hit the surface with its trajectory barely slowed and plunged deep within its depths.

She let her muscles relax and her hands open as she concentrated, feeling out the roiling waters as her magic interspersed within the immeasurable depths. What she was attempting was madness. She could never succeed. No _human_ could ever succeed at this endeavor–

"There are no limits."

Summoning every last drop of her power and letting her magic run free, Elsa willed herself to succeed. Once again the storm surrounded her, but this time there was something different. Buffeting winds shook the sails so badly that they might tear any moment, and the waves raged ever stronger, threatening to swallow the ship whole. Elsa paid it no mind. She closed her eyes and allowed the power to build and build within, forgoing all other senses except that intoxicating power flooding her veins, and unknowingly, she outstretched her arms and lifted her head to the darkening sky.

Ice flooded the oceans.

Where her magic had already dispersed into the sea, Elsa willed the cold to spread, to freeze, to overcome the impossible, conquer those waters and make it her own. It was an unending struggle. Even as the cold spread, the unforgiving sea battled her dominion and shattered the ice, melted the snow, but Elsa continued pouring her power deep into the water. Ice was formed, was shattered, was remade, again and again and again until the pressure built stronger and stronger deep within.

Until she lost control.

Everything collapsed at once. An implosion below the sea sent twin walls of water jetting upwards, dwarfing even the ship. And then the sea calmed. Elsa released her magic and the skies calmed, the waves abated, and all that was left was the quiet pattering of water that fell like rain upon her skin.

"An impressive display, but a most audacious task you have chosen to pursue. Parting the sea may be too ambitious even for you, my child."

Elsa turned around and bowed. When she raised her head again, she saw Markus smiling with such obvious amusement that she couldn't help but defend herself.

"I was attempting to freeze it," Elsa said. "In time, I believe I could succeed."

"And I have no doubt that you could do anything you set your mind to, Elsa." Markus stepped closer and opened his arms, and Elsa brightened. Without a second thought she hugged him around the middle. It was rare for the man to display affection. She was the only one graced with it.

"I will make you proud."

Markus drew away and gave her another fond smile, but before he could speak his smile turned into a grimace. Turning away from her, Markus doubled over into hacking coughs.

"It will be all right," Markus assured her, but Elsa must have let her concern show on her face because he chuckled and added, "Don't worry. We will be arriving soon, so avoid performing any awe-inspiring feats?"

Markus retreated into his quarters to rest, leaving Elsa alone on the deck. She walked over to the railing and silently looked out to the sea. Now that she had nothing to occupy her, she could only think of how much she didn't want to see Arendelle. Part of the reason for her attempt to freeze the sea was to impede their progress. She wished Markus had taken one of the princes instead, or brought Saul along to this so-called peacekeeping gala; Elsa was hardly learned in this form of warfare, one with words instead of magic and metal. And the destination...

Elsa hated Arendelle. It only reminded her of wishing that she could be loved and that she could be noticed.

She would just have to bear it.

* * *

"Have I introduced you to Elsa?"

Elsa stepped forward and smiled, dipping into a curtsy rather than a bow as she would for Markus. "It is an honor to meet you, Your Majesty."

"I assure you that the pleasure is all mine," King Agdar said.

All about them was the raucous of a party at full swing, musicians playing at one side as the dignitaries danced in the Great Hall, and servants walked to and fro offering carefully selected morsels from silver trays. Elsa barely spared any of them a glance, only paying just enough attention to be able to spot danger if it came. From the moment they had arrived, she kept her eyes trained on King Agdar.

"But, Markus, I am confused. Where is Gustaf?" Agdar asked.

"Unfortunately, Gustaf was ultimately a disappointment. Elsa is my heir now," Markus said. "You will be seeing much more of her, I think."

"Oh. I...did not know. It's a shame about Gustaf, but I'm sure you have your reasons." Agdar looked at her more carefully, and Elsa calmly met his gaze without once faltering. "How old are you, Elsa?"

"Eleven, Your Majesty." Elsa bowed her head in deference. "In the future, I hope to continue the good relations between your kingdom and mine."

Agdar smiled, and Elsa was surprised to find it genuinely caring. Perhaps the man was simply a very good liar. "I hope so too. You are very mature for your age, Elsa. I am extremely impressed."

"Elsa will be my crowning achievement," Markus said. "I have no doubt that she will lead the Southern Isles into a new age."

"If only I could say the same for Anna. I worry about her…" Agdar shook his head and laughed. "She should be here already, but I'm afraid that she made quite a mess and will be delayed. I hope she manages to be ready by the time all the guests arrive."

"I'm sure." Markus turned to Elsa and said, "Go ahead and mingle. All of this will be new to you, but a good experience."

"Of course. It was a pleasure, King Agdar."

Elsa understood the dismissal for what it was and went about her own business. Mingling with the dignitaries was unnecessary; Elsa had no need to lower herself to their level, and Markus had made that clear before they arrived. Instead, she simply observed. People here left themselves very open. They spoke loudly, freely, and the bustling atmosphere here contrasted starkly with the military-efficiency of the Southern Isles.

She picked up a glass of water and sipped carefully, still watching the room. Almost everybody was older than her, of course. But though most were younger than Markus, they were all corpulent and bloated on excess, obviously weak-willed and so far from the powerfully charismatic Markus that Elsa could scarcely believe they were also royalty. Rarely, Elsa encountered someone her age. Corona had apparently lost its princess years ago, but many other kingdoms were represented. She was a new face, and so they considered her calculatingly, wondering who she was, debating whether or not she was worth their time and whether she might be an ally or a foe. Elsa ignored them.

When the trumpets sounded, Elsa looked towards the front of the room.

"King Agdar of Arendelle!"

Agdar entered and stood at his throne, poised and much unlike some of the others Elsa had observed. Grudgingly, she admitted that the King of Arendelle was, at least, not a fool–

"Princess Anna of Arendelle!"

Elsa blinked. With effusive enthusiasm, a redheaded girl burst into the room, waving with all her might and stopping at precisely the wrong spot. She supposed this Anna still had much to learn about etiquette. Someone ushered her next to her father, and then Agdar held some speech or another. Elsa was too distracted by the wide-eyed gaze of Princess Anna looking about with such obvious curiosity that it hurt. Elsa was sandwiched within the crowd, so she supposed the princess couldn't see the wince no doubt on her face. Still, she was tempted to tell her that no one from the royal family should let their thoughts be known so easily. Quite honestly, she had no business smiling that widely. And then after yawning at what must have been a particularly dry portion, she actually _waved_ at people in the middle of her father's speech. Elsa cleared her throat and looked away, fighting back a smile of her own.

It _was_ a little refreshing to see such a friendly face.

It reminded her a little of herself before she had learned better.

"…and I pray that there will be continued peace, and tolerance, so that our children may lead lives safe from threat and undisturbed by strife."

Any good mood was wiped out.

Elsa fought back the urge to unleash her powers right there in the Great Hall. If Agdar was so determined on peace and tolerance, maybe he should have taught that lesson to his own kingdom rather than preach it here. No one in Arendelle had ever tolerated her, had ever done anything to alleviate her suffering. Surely _someone_ had to have known what was happening. Instead, it had fallen on Markus to rescue her. Elsa took a deep breath, and the instant it became socially acceptable to leave, pushed past the crowd and excused herself to the courtyard. Elsa took one last glance behind at Anna, but before the redhead could notice her, she left.

She had had quite enough of Arendelle already, and everyone in the wretched place.

* * *

Once the party was over, hours later, Anna trudged back to her room disgruntled. She had chatted with a few of the other princes and princesses, but she hadn't liked very many of them. All of them were mean and, in her opinion, too full of themselves. All in all, the night was a big disappointment. Sure, the lights and music was fun, and the chocolate was great, but she had wanted to meet people.

Anna scaled the stairs and was soon ambling down the hallway back to her room, but as luck would have it, she decided to first take a peek out the window. Nothing in particular piqued her interest. Any other night, and she might have just walked past. But _something_ made her decide to gaze out into the night, and the first thing she noticed was not the full moon spilling brilliant white light or the stars dotting a cloudless night sky. She looked down, not up, and sitting there at the fountain was a blonde girl.

She looked so sad.

Anna had never seen anyone look like that before. She looked lonely, sitting there alone and trailing her finger over the water, staring blankly at her reflection even as the ripples distorted her face. Anna looked down and, despite being only a child, saw someone who needed her help. She ran down the stairs again as fast as she could, nearly falling into a suit of armor, and then sprinted the last stretch and was out the door towards the courtyard.

"Hey! I'm Anna–"

No one was there, save for drifting ice set afloat in the fountain.

She never even learned her name.

* * *

 _Word was the war lasted less than a day._


End file.
